Hiding
by Boo1
Summary: Takes place in the hours after the S6 finale Grave.
1. Default Chapter

TITLE: Hiding  
CATEGORY: Mysterious fluff as opposed to my usual dramatic fluff. Just playing around until real inspiration strikes.  
RATED: PG-13  
SUMMARY: Story picks up in the hours after the season 6 finale Grave.  
DISCLAIMERS: All characters and storylines, both good and bad, are owned by Joss Whedon. Sometimes he admits to that, sometimes he doesn't.  
ARCHIVING: You'd really want this?  
FEEDBACK: Right. And the Chicago Cubs are going to win the World Series.  
  
PART ONE  
  
He reached down to pick up the beer can and dropped it into the plastic bag he held in his other hand. Even before he stood fully he felt her hand on his shoulder. Looking up, she simply nodded once and he followed her gaze.  
  
The girl sat with her back to a damp brick wall, arms wrapped around her knees as if she were cold even though the late afternoon sun made her squint. She was motionless, staring at a brown-colored tuft of grass that earlier that spring had forced its way through a crack in the sidewalk. A soft breeze stirred the dead straw and the girl, seemingly fascinated, reached out, unsmiling, gently brushing her fingers across the dried stalk as if touching a lover's hair.  
  
"She's dressed too nice to be homeless. Runaway?" suggested John.  
  
"If she is, she hasn't been on the street long. Her clothes aren't dirty enough. Hard to be sure from here, but I don't see any needle marks on her arms," frowned Teri, not taking her eyes from the girl.  
  
"That doesn't mean she's clean," sighed John. Teri nodded in agreement, wondering now why this red-headed girl hadn't even looked up at them. Peasant top, faded denim jeans and clogs; this one seemed very much out of place out here.  
  
"Stay here," said Teri, lowering her voice.  
  
"It'll be dark soon," reminded John.  
  
"I know," she replied.  
  
"Teri, it's none of our business..."  
  
Her glare silenced him and with a shrug he turned to search for more cans or bottles. Teri took a deep breath and walked over to stand in front of the girl...but it was as if she hadn't even noticed. Teri watched as she continued to caress the dead grass. Kneeling down, Teri again glanced at her arms but saw no needle marks.  
  
"Hi. What's your name?" asked Teri, smiling.   
  
As if she had heard something far off in the distance, the girl slowly raised her head and then, startled, finally seemed aware of someone else's presence. Her green eyes settled on Teri's face in an unfocused stare.  
  
"My name's Teri," offered Teri softly.  
  
The red headed girl winced and turned her head, confused, so obviously trying to remember something. Curious, Teri glanced at her neck but saw no marks. Marks like she had seen on the homeless in this part of town over the last month or so, their bodies cast aside like litter.  
  
"Are you hurt?" tried Teri.  
  
And still she didn't respond. If anything, the girl looked even more disorientated, almost in a panic. Teri slowly reached out a hand to touch her arm.  
  
"Can you hear..."  
  
"I can't...I can't remember," whispered the girl, still not looking at Teri. Teri withdrew her hand. Once again the girl seemed to realize that someone was near. She slowly raised her eyes until they met Teri's brown eyes, locking onto them for a moment, anchoring herself there.  
  
"I can't remember my name," she said, this time louder, though her voice trembled with fear. Teri smiled for her.  
  
"It's okay. Maybe, maybe I can help you remember," added Teri reassuringly as she glanced at the setting sun. "Why don't you come with me? It's not safe to be out here on the streets...it'll be dark soon."  
  
The girl only stared at her, not understanding. Teri turned and looked over her shoulder as John stood behind her.  
  
"She doesn't remember her name. I think she's in shock."  
  
"Think she was attacked?" asked John, for the first time showing concern.  
  
"No marks," shrugged Teri, "but something happened to her and I'm thinking it wasn't good."  
  
Teri turned and held out her hand.   
  
"This is John. I want you to come with us. We want to help, okay?" nodded Teri encouragingly.  
  
The girl nervously swallowed once and then nodded in agreement, barely moving her head. She took Teri's hand and was pulled to her feet. When Teri tried to let go the girl only grasped her hand even tighter, her body tensing.  
  
Teri smiled for her.  
  
"We need to get inside. I won't let go," promised Teri.  
  
Grateful, the girl almost smiled. Yet when Teri took a step forward she clutched her hand firmly, almost painfully.  
  
"What's the last thing you remember? Do you remember how you got here?" asked Teri to distract her.  
  
"I...I lost something. I was, I was looking...for something," she replied, looking even more confused than before. "Or...someone."  
  
Teri frowned at John and led her away.   
  
*****  
  
Buffy shifted her weight, getting more of her shoulder under Giles' arm as Dawn opened the door.  
  
"Easy now, let's get you on the couch," said Buffy.  
  
"Giles, don't you think you should go to the hospital?" winced Dawn.  
  
"Later. Perhaps later," nodded Giles through clenched teeth as Buffy eased him down onto the couch. Buffy turned around as Xander emerged from the kitchen.  
  
"Giles! Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm alive," replied Giles with half a nod.  
  
"Xander! Where's Willow?" demanded Buffy.  
  
"Upstairs in the shower," answered Xander, glancing towards the ceiling. They could hear the water running in the pipes.  
  
"How is she?" asked Dawn, her face contorted with concern. Xander began to answer but then only shrugged.  
  
"She stopped crying, but..."  
  
"But?" encouraged Buffy.  
  
"She's not talking. I think she can understand me, but it's like I'm not really there. She, um, she just stares at you...stares past you, ya know?" added Xander, swallowing nervously.  
  
"She's in shock," said Giles to no one in particular.  
  
"But she's going to be all right, right?" suggested Xander hopefully. Giles wouldn't look at him.  
  
"I'm going to check on her," announced Dawn, heading for the stairs, not waiting for permission.  
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea. She's been up there for a while now," nodded Xander absently.  
  
"Xander, you're hurt," said Buffy, taking a step towards him.  
  
"No, it's...I'm fine," said Xander, looking down at his torn and bloody shirt.  
  
"Willow?" grimaced Buffy.  
  
"Yeah," nodded Xander sadly. "Everyone okay? How's Anya?"  
  
"She's...she's fine. She wanted to stay at the Magic Box. Xander...what happened? How did you stop her?"  
  
Xander smiled, remembering, though his face revealed no pride. The sound of the running water in the pipes ended.  
  
"I told her I loved her...and then I held her," said Xander, his voice cracking. Buffy beamed but her smile faded as Xander looked up at her.  
  
"You knew where we were. Why...why didn't you come looking for us?" said Xander, fighting to control his anger.  
  
"What? Xander, Giles was hurt. I thought he might be dying! Anya told me that, that he might not have much time!" snapped Buffy indignantly. "The world didn't end. It was over."  
  
"Exactly. The world didn't end. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe it didn't end because Willow was dead?" asked Xander, his voice even and cold.   
  
Buffy opened her mouth to shout something back at him in anger...and then her mouth simply stayed open as Xander's words hit home. Cringing, she could no longer look at him in the eye. Dawn came bounding down the stairs.  
  
"Buffy! She's gone!"  
  
"What?" answered both Xander and Buffy in unison.   
  
"She's gone! I searched everywhere upstairs!"   
  
And now Buffy turned on Xander.  
  
"You left her alone? How stupid was that!?" shouted Buffy.  
  
"I, I...I suggested she take a shower, get cleaned up. I turned the water on for her. She nodded. Or at least I think she nodded," added Xander, his voice trailing off.  
  
Buffy glared at him.  
  
"Hey, we're bosom buddies but I don't need to see her bosom, okay?" said Xander, defending himself.  
  
"We need to find her. She couldn't have gone far," said Giles.  
  
"Giles, do you still have that connection with her? Can you sense her?" begged Buffy.  
  
Sadly, anticipating her disappointment, Giles shook his head. Glaring once again at Xander, Buffy turned and ran from the house, not waiting for Dawn or Xander to follow.   
  
*****  
  
"See anyone?" whispered Teri, looking left and right down the street. There was no need for her to lower her voice as they were alone. But habits born out of necessity were hard to break.  
  
"No," answered John, already reaching for the doorknob on the boarded-up door and pushing it open, leaning against it with his shoulder and grunting with the effort. The wood creaked and groaned in protest. The windows of this building were also shuttered with panels of plywood held in place by rusty nails. Teri turned to follow him, watching her new companion. Not unexpectedly the girl didn't follow her lead. Instead she was intently staring at a pay phone on a telephone pole about twenty feet away. Teri reached over and touched her arm but still the girl didn't look at her.  
  
"Is there someone we can call? Do you remember your telephone number?" asked Teri hopefully.  
  
The girl looked down at the sidewalk, painfully concentrating, her eyes squinting with confusion.  
  
"No. No, I...no," she sighed with a shrug.  
  
"It's okay. It'll come back to you. Let's get inside," suggested Teri, tugging at the girl's sleeve. The girl hesitated, then slipped her left hand into Teri's right hand. They both looked down at their hands and when Teri looked up she thought her friend might actually smile. And then that confused look took over once again.   
  
"Come on," smiled Teri, giving her hand a squeeze. And to her surprise the girl did smile.   
  
It was dark inside the dank building and even darker when Teri closed the door tightly behind them. She could feel the girl's hand tense in her own. Then the sound of a match broke the silence and the room slowly glowed brighter as John lit several candles around the room. They walked towards him, their flickering shadows tall and wraithlike on the wall behind them.  
  
"Are you hungry?" asked John, glancing up at the girl. Again she hesitated and then, almost reluctantly, nodded. John slipped off his backpack, unzipped it and pulled out a loaf of bread as he sat down.  
  
"Hey. You didn't steal that, did you?" asked Teri suspiciously.  
  
"No," answered John, but he didn't look at Teri. When Teri didn't respond, he did look up and frowned.  
  
"No," he repeated firmly. Satisfied, Teri sat down on the floor. Her friend looked at her and then sat down next to her.  
  
"Ever come here back in it's glory days?" grinned Teri, looking around the room. "Doesn't really look much different."  
  
"I'd say it was an improvement," laughed John, retrieving a jar of peanut butter from his backpack. The girl just looked at them with a blank stare.  
  
"Oh, this was called the Fish Tank at one time. Used to be a bar," explained Teri.  
  
"Doubt the likes of her ever saw the inside of a dive like this," grinned John, holding a piece of bread in one hand and spreading peanut butter across it with a knife with his other hand. He slapped another piece of bread over the first one and handed it to Teri without looking up.  
  
"The Bronze," said the girl, making John look up. Teri hesitated, then held out the sandwich to her.  
  
"The Bronze," repeated the girl, louder this time. "I used to go to the Bronze."  
  
"Who didn't?" smiled Teri, holding out the sandwich to her. The girl smiled as if she had accomplished something and then took the sandwich. She took a bite...and quickly finished it before John had made another.  
  
"You were hungry! John, make her another."  
  
Teri reached into John's backpack and pulled out a can of orange soda.  
  
"Here," said Teri, handing it to the girl. "Sorry it's warm. We didn't pay the electric bill last month so the fridge doesn't work."  
  
The girl took the soda but it was a moment or two before she smiled, as if she had thought Teri had been serious.  
  
"Thanks," she nodded.  
  
"Hmm, orange soda, red hair...we have to call you something. How 'bout Red?" suggested Teri.  
  
The girl raised the can of soda to her lips but hesitated, then slowly lowered her hand.  
  
"Hey, does that sound familiar? You, you think that's your name?" asked Teri.  
  
"Or nickname," added John, handing Teri another sandwich.  
  
"I...I think it might be. It does...yeah, someone called me that once, but..."  
  
"But?" encouraged Teri.  
  
The girl shrugged and shook her head.  
  
"Well then, Red it is," said Teri, smiling to ease the girl's obvious discomfort.  
  
"Maybe we should take Red here to the shelter," suggested John.  
  
"No," answered Teri quickly. "They're probably full by now. And it'll be dark soon," she added, keeping her eyes on Red.  
  
"Does something happen?" asked Red. "When it gets dark, I mean."  
  
"Um...it's just not a good part of town, you know? But you'll be safe with us," said Teri, her voice lacking confidence. She glanced back at John to hide her face.  
  
And then the front door burst open.   
  
*****  
  
"Okay, try to keep up with me here Dawnie. I know my legs are longer and, um, I'm probably...well, not probably, I am in better shape than you, so stick with me. We have to hurry. Just wish I knew where we were hurrying to, ya know? I mean, where would a fried, exhausted and hopefully repentant witch go? Willow, she...she needed me...she did. We had a connection. Least I thought we did...no, we did! I helped her. She needed me. A connection...yeah."  
  
Xander stopped walking to catch his breath, hands on his hips.  
  
"A connection," whispered Xander. "Just like with Anya...and Faith...and now I guess Buffy."  
  
Xander shook his head and sighed.  
  
"Why do all the women in my life keep leaving me?" asked Xander, looking back over his shoulder...and only just now realizing he was alone.  
  
"Dawn?"  
  
*****  
  
The door had been kicked open and a lone figure stood there motionless, silhouetted from a streetlight behind her. She was holding something in her arms. Teri glanced at Red and was surprised to see that she wasn't looking towards the door but at the cross she held in her hand. With no time to explain, Teri slowly stood and faced the door.  
  
"Are you guys stoned or what? Give me a hand here!" yelled the stranger.  
  
Teri smiled and quickly put the cross into her back pocket, again glancing at Red. She still wasn't looking towards the door. Instead, she just stared unfocused at Teri as if trying to remember something. John walked towards the stranger, shaking his head.  
  
"Shelly, don't make such a grand entrance like that! Ya probably scared poor Teri half to death," said John, smiling to hide how shaken he had been and not fooling anyone.  
  
"Sorry. My hands were full. Had to kick the door open. Here, take this bag, I've got another one behind me," said Shelly, thrusting a full grocery bag at John.  
  
"And here I thought we'd be eating only peanut butter again," grinned John. Shelly dragged another bag in and shoved the door closed with her back. She hesitated for a moment, looking past John at Teri.  
  
"Oh, yeah. We have another mouth to feed," nodded John. "Shelly, this is Red. Red, meet Shelly. She has a garden not far from here. Grows the best vegetables you ever laid eyes on, better than store-bought."  
  
"Red?" repeated Shelly, staring at the new girl.  
  
"Um, yeah. We don't know her name. Either does she. Got amnesia or something. Had to call her something, so we went with the obvious. Think we'll take her to the clinic tomorrow," added John in a whisper.  
  
Shelly took a step into the room, not once taking her eyes from Red. And Red stared back in return, eyes narrowed, her head tilting slightly.  
  
"Do you know her?" asked Teri hopefully. But Red didn't answer. Teri reached out and touched Red's arm, finally getting her attention.  
  
"What?" asked Red.  
  
"I said do you know her?" repeated Teri.  
  
Red looked back at Shelly...and slowly shook her head. Teri looked at Shelly.  
  
"Sorry, but nope, I don't know her," announced Shelly before Teri could ask. Still, Shelly kept looking at Red.  
  
"Let's put these away," said John, nodding at the bags. "One of these days you're going to tell me your secret."  
  
"Secret?" repeated Shelly quickly, her head snapping around.  
  
"Yeah, you know. How you get these vegetables so big."  
  
"Oh. Right. That secret," smiled Shelly. Only her smile faded as she noticed Red staring at her.  
  
Teri pretended not to notice but wondered if Shelly did know Red. But why would Shelly lie about that?   
  
*****  
  
Anya took in a slow deep breath and shook her head. She was holding a small ceramic vase in one hand. It was one of the few items not broken in the store. Pouting but still grateful, she turned to put the vase on the counter behind her...and looked into two eyes staring menacingly back at her. Anya dropped the vase and it shattered on the floor at her feet.  
  
"Um...hi?" grimaced Dawn, slowly waving her hand. Anya scowled at her and Dawn awkwardly lowered her hand.  
  
"What?" sighed Anya, slumping her shoulders.  
  
"Well, see, we, we um..."  
  
Anya tilted her head and stared at Dawn.  
  
"We kinda need your help. Again," explained Dawn.  
  
"I see. How?"  
  
"Direct and to the point," said Dawn out loud but looking away from Anya. "It's Willow."  
  
"Oh, you mean the girl who destroyed my livelihood and nearly got us all killed, emphasis on the word all?" nodded Anya.  
  
"Um, yep, that's the girl," agreed Dawn, wincing.  
  
Anya sighed again but as she looked into Dawn's sad eyes her frown slowly melted away.  
  
END OF PART ONE 


	2. Two

Title: Hiding  
  
PART TWO  
  
*****  
  
"Sure you don't want something to eat, Shelly?" repeated Teri.  
  
"Nah, I ate before. Maybe later," smiled Shelly with a shrug. She sat down next to Red and Red sat up a little straighter, uncomfortably avoiding looking at her.  
  
"You really can't remember anything?" asked Shelly, keeping her voice low and glancing at Teri. But Teri was busy sorting out the vegetables that were in the two bags.   
  
"No. No...not really," whispered Red, still not looking at Shelly.  
  
"Whaddaya mean not really? Either ya do or ya don't," replied Shelly tensely, now ignoring Teri. She leaned forward a bit so that Red would have to look at her.  
  
"It's...I can't explain it. Something happened and, and I remember...just flashes of things. But when I try to concentrate the images disappear. So it's all so confusing. Still, sometimes..."  
  
Red swallowed and, wincing, turned away from Shelly.  
  
"Sometimes," encouraged Shelly.  
  
Red took a deep breath and slowly turned to face Shelly. She noticed that both John and Teri had stopped what they were doing and were staring at her. Red fixed her eyes on Teri and Teri nodded at her.  
  
"Sometimes an image comes into focus and...and it makes my tummy all queasy," frowned Red. "So I'm not sure if I'm looking for someone...or if I'm running away."  
  
"Maybe you saw something that frightened you," suggested John.  
  
"Maybe," nodded Red, looking down. "I think so. But maybe I'm the one who did it."  
  
No one spoke. Red slowly raised her eyes and looked at Shelly. And Shelly burst out laughing.  
  
"Come on, now, Red! Look at you! What could you have done to be afraid of?" grinned Shelly, looking back over her shoulder at John and Teri. Teri scowled at her as she turned back to face Red.  
  
"I'm not afraid of something I did, even if I can't remember what it was. What terrifies me is why I did it, why it...why I can't even remember my name," whimpered Red.  
  
Red narrowed her eyes and her voice, though she whispered, was cold, without emotion.  
  
"Some people aren't who they seem. They can't hide it, not forever."  
  
Shelly stopped smiling.   
  
"So who am I? Not what's my name...but who am I?" gasped Red.  
  
Red suddenly looked like she might cry.  
  
"What happened to me?" whispered Red.  
  
"Yeah. I get that. More than you know," sighed Shelly, looking up and realizing that she had spoken out loud. But Red hadn't seemed to have heard her. She stood up and took a few steps away from Shelly, keeping her back to her. Shelly stood up, took a step towards her and affectionately raised her hand to comfort Red...but slowly lowered it. She spoke without turning to face Teri or John.  
  
"We shouldn't go to the police, not until Red here remembers who she is...or what she's done."  
  
Red brought her arms up around her chest as if she were suddenly cold. Shelly finally turned around.  
  
"She should stay with us. Agreed?" challenged Shelly. Both John and Teri nodded.  
  
"John, why don't you walk me to my Caddy? I parked it out front. Probably should bring it around back in case the cops drive by."  
  
"A patrol in this neighborhood? Not likely, but if it will make you feel any better," shrugged John, already heading for the door.  
  
"Could always steal another one," snapped Teri in disgust.  
  
"Nah. This one has leather seats. Hard to find 'em like that," smiled Shelly. She glanced back once at Red and then followed John to the door. Teri walked over and stood next to Red.  
  
"Hey. Don't dwell on it. Shelly's right about one thing. I don't think you could have..."  
  
"How long have you known her?" interrupted Red without turning around.  
  
"Shelly? Couple of months now. Why? Do you think you know her?"  
  
"Maybe. No. No, I don't know. But..."  
  
Red turned and saw that Shelly hadn't left yet and was looking at her. Teri caught Red's eye and turned to see what she was looking at.  
  
"It's okay," whispered Teri, once again facing Red. "She can't hear you way over there."  
  
And then Shelly winked at Red as she went out the door, pulling it shut behind her.  
  
Red wrapped her arms around herself just a little tighter.   
  
*****  
  
"What do you want me to do?" asked Anya.  
  
"I don't know," shrugged Dawn. "Um...you can teleport, so why don't you just, like, pop in here and there, sorta look around for her?"  
  
"Here and there? Not very efficient," sighed Anya, shaking her head. "I have a better idea. Do you have something of hers? Clothing? Jewelry?"  
  
"Um...no," winced Dawn. "Why?"  
  
"To do a spell to find her," explained Anya.  
  
"Oh!" smiled Dawn excitedly. And then she frowned.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can do that? A spell, I mean," said Dawn.  
  
"Dawn, I am a Vengeance demon. Locator spells are quite useful in the biz, what with the tracking down of male scum so time consuming and all...though I am a bit rusty," added Anya thoughtfully.  
  
"Male scum. Don't you mean victims?" suggested Dawn tersely.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"The men you punish. Aren't they victims?"  
  
"No. The word victim implies innocence.," corrected Anya.  
  
"Oh," frowned Dawn.  
  
"Hmm. Wait, I know!"  
  
Anya looked around and then quickly walked over to pick up a splintered piece of wood, holding it up proudly. Dawn tilted her head with a puzzled look.  
  
"Blood," sighed Anya, indicating a dark stain on the wood. "Willow's blood. Nothing more powerful to use than blood in a locator spell."  
  
"You, uh, sure it's her blood and not, say, Buffy's blood or Giles' or, or your own?" winced Dawn.  
  
"No, it's Willow's blood. I saw Giles hit her with this. Not that it had much affect at the time," shrugged Anya.  
  
"Well, maybe not at the time," whispered Dawn.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Dawn hesitated but then reluctantly clarified what she meant.  
  
"I wonder how they'll feel about hurting each other later. Well, not even later. Later as in now," said Dawn.  
  
Anya looked at the darkened wood in her hand and sadly nodded at Dawn.  
  
"We should get started. Now, where's the powder I need? It would be a lot easier to find if there was anything left unbroken in my place of business," sighed Anya, hands on her hips.  
  
"We? You said we. I can help? I can do a spell?" asked Dawn eagerly.  
  
"Sure, what the hell. Just don't tell your sister," warned Anya.  
  
*****  
  
Xander leaned back against the damp wall behind him and closed his eyes, both to catch his breath and also because he simply didn't know where to look next. He was far enough away from the street in this alley that any noise from passing traffic seemed muffled and distant, only adding to his sense of isolation. Yet as quiet and still as it was he never heard her footsteps. Opening his eyes it took a moment for him to realize someone was standing in front of him. Startled, Xander jumped soundlessly a step or two away, his mouth and eyes wide open.  
  
"Sorry," shrugged Buffy. "Still, you of all people should know that you don't close your eyes in an alley in Sunnydale at night."  
  
Xander raised a finger to protest but nodded with a sigh.  
  
"No luck?"   
  
"No," replied Buffy, glancing back down the alley. "I've been back here behind the Bronze twice already and inside three times. I have no idea where she could've gone."  
  
"Okay, we're going about this wrong."  
  
"Ya think?" snapped Buffy.  
  
"What I mean is we're looking in places where we think Willow might go. But if she's running away, these are the last places we should search."  
  
"Makes sense," admitted Buffy. "So...where do we look?"  
  
Xander opened his mouth to reply but just dejectedly shook his head instead.  
  
"I hear you," sighed Buffy.   
  
Xander met her eyes but then looked away. Even though he wasn't looking at her Buffy also looked away. If the alley was quiet before it was tomblike now. Without a word they both turned and began walking towards the street. Buffy slipped her fingers into Xander's hand.  
  
"I'm sorry," whispered Xander.  
  
"Xander, it's okay. I..."  
  
"No, it's so not okay. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It wasn't your fault. What happened, I mean," added Xander, stopping to face her.  
  
"Oh, come on. You call that yelling? Bristling maybe, or, or growling perhaps. But yelling? Pfft!" smiled Buffy.  
  
Xander didn't smile back. He looked down at his feet.  
  
"Besides...you were right. I didn't think Willow was dead. But that's only because I refused to consider that possibility, you know? If she...I mean I, I couldn't...I just couldn't..."  
  
Choked up, Buffy took in a deep breath. Xander raised his eyes and nodded.  
  
"I know," he nodded. "I know."  
  
"And as far as casting blame, well, I'm at the head of the line there too," winced Buffy.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"My best friend was in over her head, she needed help. Did I even notice?" said Buffy sharply, angry at herself, freeing her hand from Xander's grasp.  
  
"None of us did, Buffy," said Xander, placing a hand on her arm. "Or at least we didn't want to acknowledge it, confront it. We tend not to talk about...stuff."  
  
"Yeah," agreed Buffy reluctantly. "Stuff."  
  
"Let's go see Anya. Maybe she can find Willow with a spell or something."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead with a hand.  
  
"Wish I had thought of that," sighed Buffy.  
  
Xander laughed.  
  
"What?" demanded Buffy with false indignation.  
  
"Well, I sure do screw up enough, but every once in a while I come up with an idea," teased Xander.   
  
"Even a blind squirrel," teased Buffy. And now Xander did smile. They started to walk back out of the alley.  
  
"Xander?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Where's Dawn?"  
  
Xander stopped smiling.   
  
*****  
  
"So...where is she?"  
  
Anya frowned, one side of her mouth scrunched up, but she ignored Dawn. Sitting on the floor across from her in a hastily drawn circle, Anya's eyes darted from the flickering candle, to the stained wood between them, to the yellowish powder in her hand and back to the wood again.  
  
"Did you...er, I mean we. Did we forget something? Did, did I screw something up?" winced Dawn.  
  
Anya only glanced at her, rubbing her chin in thought.  
  
"Oh God, we summoned some demon or, or raised some...dead thing. I knew it! I so suck at this stuff," cried Dawn.  
  
"Huh? Oh, no. Of course not. The spell went perfectly. It's an easy one, especially with...well, you really don't want to know what this is," frowned Anya, rubbing her hands together to let the remainder of the powder fall to the floor.   
  
Dawn's eyes opened a little wider.  
  
"Let's just say I'm going to wash my hands soon. For about an hour," sighed Anya.  
  
"So...where is she?" asked Dawn, hoping to change the subject.  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
Dawn blinked.  
  
"Huh?" But I thought you said..."  
  
"Oh, the spell worked fine. It's just, well..."  
  
Dawn impatiently opened her eyes even wider.  
  
"Willow isn't here."  
  
"In Sunnydale?" asked Dawn, shocked.  
  
"No. I mean, she isn't anywhere," cringed Anya.  
  
"She...she's dead?" gasped Dawn.  
  
"Um...let's go look this spell up, okay? Maybe I did something wrong," suggested Anya.  
  
Dawn looked at Anya doubtfully. Anya forced a smile but let out a deep breath.  
  
"I'm sure I must've done something wrong. Honestly. Did I mention the rusty part?" reminded Anya.  
  
*****  
  
"Where the hell are they?" muttered Teri out loud. She glanced over at Red, worried that her outburst had startled her. But her new friend hadn't even turned in her direction. Red sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at something. It took Teri a moment to realize that she was looking at a spider web, dusty and broken, strung between a chair and the wall. Teri continued to watch, fascinated, as Red slowly raised a hand to her cheek, never once taking her eyes from the web.  
  
Teri shook her head and sat down next to Red. Red slowly lowered her hand but wouldn't look at Teri. Only then did Teri notice that her hand was trembling. Teri glanced back at the spider web, unsure if she should ask about it.  
  
"You're worried," said Red suddenly, making Teri jump. "About John."  
  
"Yeah," frowned Teri. Red turned her head to look at her.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's...it's not a safe neighborhood. Especially at night," replied Teri, though even she knew she didn't sound convincing.  
  
"No. It's more than that," said Red, shaking her head and noticing the cross sticking out of Teri's back pocket.  
  
"Red, it's okay. You'll be safe here," reassured Teri. "It's just...they should have been back by now. Shelly probably wanted to go get some cigarettes or something. Yeah, I'm sure that's it."  
  
"You're afraid."  
  
"What? No, really, it's..."  
  
"Of vampires," said Red calmly, now staring directly at Teri. And Teri stared back for a moment, then slowly lowered her head and nodded.  
  
"So you know about them," stated Teri. She looked up with a puzzled expression. "How?"  
  
Red opened her mouth to speak but then, like before, that lost and confused look took hold of her.  
  
"Hey. Whatcha talkin' about?"  
  
This time Red did jump. And Teri was even more startled than her. They both looked back at Shelly, standing there with a silly grin on her face and chewing on a wad of gum that was probably just a little to big for her mouth.  
  
"Didn't hear you come in," stammered Teri as she rose to her feet.  
  
"Came in the back way," shrugged Shelly.  
  
"Where's John?" asked Teri nervously, even now looking back into the shadows behind Shelly, hoping to see him.  
  
"He uh, went for a ride. Yeah. Think he went to get me some more smokes. Felt bad that I was getting low. Always considerate, that John. Always thinking of others," grinned Shelly.  
  
"Yeah, but...but he's also a big fraidy cat. He doesn't like to be out at night. Especially after..."  
  
Teri stopped, her eyes on Red.  
  
"Well, you know, what happened the other night," finished Teri.  
  
"What happened the other night?" asked Red cautiously.  
  
"It's not important," comforted Teri.  
  
"He found a dead body. Of course, when you find a body it's usually dead," laughed Shelly. Red looked at Teri, studied her face.  
  
"Vampire?" whispered Red. Teri reluctantly nodded.  
  
"Nothing to be afraid of, Red. You're safe in here. Tell her, Teri," said Shelly. Red's eyes opened wide. She was surprised that Shelly had heard her.  
  
"She's right. Shelly knows some stuff about magic. She drew a symbol on the floor near the front and back doors. It keeps the vampires from entering here. And, well, we've been safe so far," shrugged Teri.  
  
Red stood up, taking a lit candle with her and cupped her hand behind it as she walked over to the front door. Ignoring Shelly's smile, she stared at the symbol drawn in chalk on the floor. Only then did she glance back at Shelly.  
  
"But that won't..."  
  
Something in the way Shelly glared at her caused Red to hesitate.  
  
"What?" challenged Shelly, chomping on her gum.  
  
"Thanks. It's good to know. I mean, that we're safe and all," smiled Red.  
  
Shelly nodded and walked away. Red looked down at the symbol on the ground, a frown pushing away her smile.   
  
*****  
  
"I'm telling you that you're wrong. Willow wouldn't..."  
  
"And why wouldn't she, Buffy?" snapped Anya.  
  
"Anya, maybe you..."  
  
"Don't Anya me, Xander! I tried. Let's leave it at that."  
  
"But..."  
  
"If you can do better, be my guest!" yelled Anya, pointing to the blood stained wood and powder on the floor. Xander shook his head and looked to Buffy.  
  
"She wouldn't," growled Buffy, her teeth clenched.  
  
"And why not?" asked Dawn calmly.  
  
"What?" responded Buffy, taken aback.  
  
"Why wouldn't she? You can't even say the words, Buffy. Knowing what she did...why wouldn't Willow try to kill herself?" demanded Dawn, hands on her hips. "She tried to kill me."  
  
Buffy met Dawn's glare. Dawn swallowed, her resolve melting. Buffy simply closed her eyes.  
  
"You're having a party and didn't invite me?"  
  
Everyone turned but no one spoke. Giles leaned against the door frame for support, his eyes only on Anya.  
  
"Giles, you shouldn't be..."  
  
"Yes, Buffy, I should," interrupted Giles, waving her away as she approached him. "I would've rang you up but the telephone seems not to be working at the moment."  
  
Buffy smiled, glancing around at what was left of the Magic Box.  
  
"Anya, you tried to find her, correct?" asked Giles, nodding at the powder on the floor.  
  
Anya frowned and nodded at the same time.  
  
"I assume you used the Latin?"  
  
"Yes," sighed Anya. "The Sanguis ritual."  
  
"Sanguis? I see. But why not Cruor? Sanguis is used more in searching for a blood relation."  
  
"Um...well, sure. There's that," cringed Anya. Giles stepped into the room and winced as he knelt down to pick up the splintered wood.  
  
"Willow's blood was corrupted at this moment. Did you use the word sanies?" asked Giles patiently.  
  
Anya bit her lower lip and wrapped her arms around herself.  
  
"Did I mention that I'm a bit rusty with the spell casting?" whispered Anya. Buffy rolled her eyes but Giles smiled in a fatherly way, instantly comforting Anya.  
  
"Let's try this again, shall we?" smiled Giles. Anya meekly nodded and the others gathered around Giles in a circle, sitting down without having to be told.   
  
"Ahn," said Xander.  
  
She looked up at him, eyes defensively narrowed.  
  
"Your heart was in the right place. Bonus points for trying," smiled Xander. Anya smiled gratefully in return.  
  
"This spell can be a little tricky, especially if the person you are searching for is in shock or has amnesia. Even being unconscious complicates things. Very tricky indeed," added Giles.  
  
Buffy beamed, wondering how she ever let Giles and his calming presence leave her. She slipped an arm over his shoulder and rested her head against him, not caring what the others thought of her display of affection.  
  
END OF PART TWO 


	3. Three

Title: Hiding  
  
PART THREE  
  
"She's where!?" shouted Buffy. "Nevermind! Xander, let's get your car. We need to hurry."  
  
Xander stood up and glanced at Giles, a habit born from the gang usually deferring to his authority.  
  
"What part of hurry don't you understand?" snapped Buffy, already heading for the door.  
  
"Can I..."  
  
"No!" interrupted Buffy, anticipating her sister's request. The door swung on its hinges and Xander quickly followed her outside, pausing for a moment to wonder why this door hadn't been reduced to kindling when...  
  
"Xander!"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Xander ran after Buffy.  
  
"Just wanted to help," pouted Dawn, crossing her arms.  
  
"She knows that," smiled Giles, more to hide how painful it was to stand up than to pacify Dawn.  
  
"You helped me," added Anya, pointing to the powder-covered floor. "And you help Buffy. A lot."  
  
"For example," sighed Dawn, nodding towards the door.  
  
Anya shrugged and forced herself to keep smiling.  
  
*****   
  
Red stood on the curb, staring into a puddle by her feet, fascinated that the stars were reflected there on the still water. Most of the streetlights were broken and it was very dark in this part of town.  
  
"I shouldn't be looking for John," whispered Red to herself. "I should be looking for...looking for..."  
  
Red stomped her foot, splashing water in all directions, suddenly angry at herself.  
  
"What?"  
  
Red turned and almost answered, but hesitated. She absently brushed her hair back away from her face with her right hand and simply shook her head.  
  
"Nothing. It's...nothing," she whispered, keeping her eyes downcast, lost in her own thoughts, seeking solace in the water as it calmed itself. But the water was muddy now, disturbed. Like her memories. Red felt tears welling up at the corner of her eyes.   
  
Teri slipped her hands into the pockets of her jacket and stared at Red. Yet Red still didn't look up. Taking a deep breath, Teri leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, lingering for a moment before pulling away. Eyes wide open now, Red slowly raised a hand to touch her lips and almost smiled. It was Teri's turn to look away.  
  
"Why did you do that?" asked Red, lowering her hand. Teri shrugged.  
  
"You looked like you needed it," replied Teri, avoiding Red's gaze and biting her lower lip. When Red didn't answer, Teri glanced over at her. Red was smiling and she couldn't help but smile in return.  
  
"You know...I think I did," nodded Red.  
  
Teri pressed her hands deeper into her pockets and looked away again. Red took a step and stood in front of her. Teri slowly raised her eyes.  
  
"Um...do you...what I mean is..."  
  
Red paused with a sigh that puffed out her cheeks.  
  
"Yes," whispered Teri boldly. Red raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Oh," grinned Red, weakly trying to not act surprised. Teri smiled and pulled her hands free of her jacket...and suddenly wasn't sure what to do with them. Red slowly inhaled but didn't move. Teri looked past her, once to the left, once to the right, but they were alone. She tilted her head slightly and then, without any further hesitation, she leaned in, touching her lips against Red's soft mouth yet waiting for her to respond.  
  
Red raised her hands, wavered, then wrapped her arms around Teri. Teri's hands finally found their way to Red's shoulders as their kiss deepened. Pulling away only to catch her breath, Red pressed her forehead to Teri's and smiled. Her smile faded as she sensed how nervous her companion was.  
  
"What?" asked Red.  
  
"Nothing. It's...nothing," whispered Teri.  
  
And Red laughed. Teri stepped back but reached out to hold Red's hands.  
  
"You have done this before, right?" inquired Red gently.  
  
Teri blushed and barely shook her head.  
  
"Oh," managed Red. "Oh!"  
  
"So, um...was I...you know," shrugged Teri.  
  
"You were great," comforted Red, giving her hands a gentle squeeze.  
  
"Red?"  
  
"Yeah?" answered Red, one corner of her mouth raised.  
  
"What...how did..."  
  
Red stepped back but smiled, putting her hands on Teri's shoulders.  
  
"Go on," encouraged Red.  
  
"Your first time...how did you know what to do?" cringed Teri.  
  
"Silly, finding out is half the fun!"  
  
And Teri relaxed with a grin.  
  
"You do what feels right, what feels...natural," suggested Red, raising a hand to run her fingers through Teri's hair. Teri pressed her cheek against Red's palm.  
  
"I'm sorry. That must've sounded so dumb!" winced Teri.  
  
"No. No, not at all," whispered Red, her voice suddenly sad. She looked away, trying to remember something that seemed so close yet still alluded her.  
  
"So your first kiss...um, with a girl, I mean...wasn't awkward at all?" teased Teri playfully, not picking up on Red's melancholy.  
  
"Huh? Oh, no. Not really. Well, okay, it was," admitted Red, a small laugh escaping her lips even though she was grimacing. "But...but I, um...I had a good teacher."  
  
Red lowered her hand and Teri, finally understanding, grasped her wrist.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...what I mean is..."  
  
Red looked at her, not quite hearing what she was saying. Teri let go of her arm and stepped back. She tried to say something but stopped. Then, taking a deep breath, she nodded.   
  
"So teach me," suggested Teri nervously, with a shrug as if the answer wasn't important. But her act couldn't hide how anxious she was about Red's answer.  
  
"What? Oh. Um, hey, I, I can't. It's too...Teri, I'm just not..."  
  
Teri nodded as if acknowledging her rejection and turned her back to Red. Red winced, mad at herself for hurting Teri's feelings.  
  
"You were lucky. Having someone like that, I mean" said Teri, not turning around. "But this teacher...did she ever show you this?"  
  
Teri slowly turned and Red gasped, taking a step back. Teri's eyes were yellow...and Red suddenly couldn't breathe, couldn't pull away, held like a spell by those eyes. Yet she realized that she wasn't afraid. No, not at all. And then, somehow, those eyes seemed familiar. Very familiar. As if...  
  
"Do you understand now?" asked Teri gently in a voice that wasn't her own, a voice that comforted and soothed. A single tear ran down Teri's cheek. That voice. Red knew that voice.  
  
Red's eyes snapped open and she was immediately aware of the muted silence that surrounded her. She kicked off a sleeping bag that someone had thrown over her and sat up, only then noticing that Shelly was sitting next to her. Shelly ignored her and continued to blow smoke rings towards the ceiling, smiling as if pleased with her efforts. The scent of cooling wax permeated the air. There were only a few candles left burning now and Shelly's face was half in shadow.  
  
"Used to come here a lot, way back when," said Shelly, grinding out her cigarette on the floor next to her. She leaned back with her palms on the floor behind her and slowly looked around.  
  
Red realized that Shelly seemed less...pale than before. Yes, there almost seemed to be color in her cheeks, noticeable now only because of the contrast from before. But that didn't make sense. Maybe it was because she was closer now, or maybe it was the light. A chill went through Red but she didn't understand why.   
  
"Had some good times here. Hell, I had some great times," she laughed. "Especially when I was cutting class. Catch a nice beer buzz in the morning, shoot some pool..."  
  
Shelly tilted her head and smiled at Red.  
  
"Bet you never cut a class even so much as once," grinned Shelly, though there was a harshness in her voice, an edge tinged with contempt and judgment. "But then, you wouldn't remember if you did or not."  
  
Red drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, her eyes intent on Shelly.  
  
*****  
  
"Okay, when we get there I'll go around back in case she hears us coming. You go in from the front. Can you drive any faster?" sighed Buffy.  
  
"We're almost there, take charge girl. I'll park about a block away so she doesn't hear the car," replied Xander, keeping his eyes on the road. Buffy watched him out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," frowned Buffy. Xander nodded and reached over to give Buffy's hand a squeeze.  
  
"I know. I'm worried too," said Xander.  
  
*****  
  
"Yeah, the Fish Tank was my home. Still, didn't it miss it like I thought I would after they boarded it up. It...it just wasn't the same anymore. Not after what happened," sighed Shelly sadly. "Then again, not much was."  
  
Shelly rose to her feet and stretched.  
  
"Where's Teri?" asked Red weakly, looking up at her.  
  
"Teri? Teri went looking for John. All worried and what not. Told her it wasn't safe to be alone. Not here. Not at night."  
  
Red eased one knee under herself and slowly stood up. The way Shelly had said the word alone haunted her, made her feel more than alone. It made her feel isolated. But Shelly wasn't looking at her. Instead, she sauntered over to one of the pool tables and yanked off the torn sheet covering it. A few billiard balls clicked together, the sound echoing and only emphasizing the emptiness in the room. Shelly picked up the pool stick and glanced back at Red.  
  
Once again Shelly smiled, her grin both mocking and menacing. Red swallowed but didn't so much as blink. Shelly turned to line up a shot.  
  
"I liked them, Teri and John. They were...useful," grunted Shelly, frowning when the ball missed the hole. "Always bringing people here, always helping."  
  
Shelly walked around to the other side of the table, lining up another shot.  
  
"You know the kind. Homeless. Runaways. People who had fallen through the cracks. People that no one would miss if they vanished into the night."  
  
Shelly leaned forward and this time sunk the shot. Her face remained emotionless.  
  
"Like me," said Shelly, glancing up at Red.  
  
Red bit her lower lip and simply stared at Shelly. Shelly looked down, studying the table.  
  
"It's one of the reasons I came back to Sunnydale. To see if anybody missed me. Well, that and the fact that I heard a rumor that the Slayer had died."  
  
Shelly took aim and sunk another ball, pleased with her efforts.  
  
"John wondered how I got my garden to grow so good. Well...you need the right kind of fertilizer. Had to put the bodies somewhere, you know?"  
  
Red's eyes opened wide. She looked at the front door, knowing she couldn't make it there in time.  
  
"Don't even try," whispered Shelly, her words sharp and clear in the darkness. She gently put the pool stick down on the table, her back now to Red, challenging her to run for the door.  
  
"When did you stop calling yourself Sheila?" asked Red, her voice small. Shelly smiled and turned to face her.  
  
"So you do remember. Can't believe it took this long. Sunnydale High. Snyder. Parent's Night. The Fish Tank. Still, I'm curious. This can't all be an act. So tell me, what are you running from? What happened? Do you even know...Willow?"  
  
Red winced as if she had been slapped. But she didn't dare take her eyes off of Sheila. Sheila took a step forward, a smile slowly creeping across her face. Red stood her ground. Puzzled, Sheila stopped.  
  
"To bad it had to come to this. Had a nice arrangement going here. Still, no one knows I'm here. Yet," added Sheila, glaring.  
  
"Teri. And John. They're...dead?"  
  
"What do you think?" laughed Sheila.  
  
Once again Red glanced at the door.   
  
"Death has arrived in your little town, Willow. You can ignore me or you can try to stop me."  
  
Sheila's sneer expanded into a grin and she defiantly put her hands on her hips, daring Willow to run, knowing this girl was helpless. And then her hands slipped downward and doubt creased her face. Doubt...and then fear. She sensed the change even before she saw it. Were Willow's eyes now completely black?  
  
Sheila looked down, not understanding why the poolstick was suddenly protruding from her chest, wondering why she felt no pain. And then she exploded into ash.  
  
"If you're gonna be quipping from one of my favorite movies, get the quote right! Yeah, I remember you. Oh, and I remembered how to do that, too."  
  
Willow stared at the ash as it settled onto the floor. She raised her eyes and slowly looked around her, as if only now understanding where she was. Chewing on her lower lip, she felt a chill grip her as she forced her eyes once again to look down at the floor.  
  
"Willow," she whispered. And though she had barely breathed that name, by finally saying that word out loud she gave power to that word. Her name echoed in the dark, hung in the air cold and hard before her as if it had form, palpable like a breath on a cold night.  
  
And Willow remembered.  
  
The room around seemed darker now, even more empty now that she was alone. Yet the darkness pressed upon her and Willow's breath became shallow and quick. Gasping, she ran for the front door and struggled for a moment as she wrenched it open. Stepping outside, stumbling, almost collapsing, the night air was cold but somehow comforting as Willow's claustrophobia faded. Hands on her knees, she looked up and down the deserted street, her eyes focusing on the pay phone by the corner.  
  
Willow stood in front of the phone, not remembering walking over to it. Her hand trembled as she slowly reached for the phone and lifted it towards her ear. She didn't notice that there was no dial tone, didn't search her pockets for change to drop in the coin slot. She simply started to dial, her finger punching each number. After the fourth number she froze, her hand shaking. She held the phone against her chest, wincing in pain.  
  
"Willow?"  
  
Her face ashen, Willow eased the receiver away and stared it, terrified by the voice.  
  
"Willow."  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder and slowly turned.  
  
"I wanted...I, I needed to tell her..."  
  
Tears blurred her vision and she dropped the phone.  
  
"I wanted to hear her voice...she has to know...but, but she's not there. She...she'll never be there, will she?"  
  
Xander held his arms open, trying to be brave for Willow. He caught her as she collapsed and held her to him, both to comfort and to hide his face. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw Buffy emerge from the Fish Tank. Kissing Willow's hair, all Xander could do was let her cry. That and to hold her.  
  
Buffy stood next to them and even tentatively placed a hand on Willow's shoulder, both amazed and just a little jealous at the bond these two shared. Xander had been able to reach her but Buffy had not. And Buffy knew she wanted that connection, needed it and most importantly missed it. She pushed aside the apprehension and pain that she may have lost that chance forever and wrapped her arm around her best friend's shoulder.  
  
THE END 


End file.
